GoodSwap Get notified

Food additive · Color

Amaranth (E123)

E-number
E123

A synthetic red azo dye allowed in the EU only in a few alcoholic drinks and fish roe. Not to be confused with the grain amaranth.

  • Food additive
  • Synthetic dye
  • Color (added)
  • Petroleum-derived dye
  • Ultra-processing marker
  • Expert review pending
Moderate concern Level 2 of 4 How concern levels work

Strong evidence of harm at high intake, emerging evidence of harm, or a common allergen or irritant. The concern level sets how many points Amaranth (E123) costs on a product’s receipt.

What the evidence says

  • Not permitted in food somewhereRegulatory

    Not listed by the FDA as a color additive for food, so not permitted in US food. [1]

Evidence tiers say how sure the evidence is, separately from how much it matters. About evidence tiers.

Rules around the world

WhereStatusDetailsDateSource
European Union Permitted On the EU Union list of food colors, with conditions of use. — [2]
United States Not permitted Not listed by the FDA as a color additive for food, so not permitted in US food. — [1]

“Banned” means explicitly prohibited or withdrawn after review; “not permitted” means never authorized there. We use each regulator’s own words.

Diets and allergens

Vegan
Yes
Vegetarian
Yes
Gluten-free
Yes

For the ingredient in general. Always check the package: a product’s own labels win.

Names GoodSwap recognizes on labels (4)
  • e123
  • amaranth e123
  • e 123 amaranth
  • colour amaranth

Sources

  1. Summary of Color Additives for Use in the United States in Foods, Drugs, Cosmetics, and Medical Devices

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Regulator

    fda.gov

  2. Commission Regulation (EU) No 1129/2011 of 11 November 2011 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 by establishing a Union list of food additives

    European Union (Official Journal) · Nov 11, 2011 · Law

    “E 127 Erythrosine 200 only cocktail cherries and candied cherries”

    eur-lex.europa.eu